Malaysia
03.09.04
Urgent Interventions
Malaysia: acquittal and release of Mr. Anwar Ibrahim
Case MYS 280602.1
Acquittal and release
The International Secretariat of OMCT has received new information regarding the following situation in Malaysia.
New information
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), a member of the OMCT network, of the acquittal and release of former deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, Mr. Anwar Ibrahim.
According to the information received, on 2 September 2004, Malaysia's highest court decided to overturn the conviction of Mr. Anwar Ibrahim and release him after he spent six years in prison. He had been arrested and was tried on charges of corruption and sodomy.
Remarks
The International Secretariat of OMCT welcomes the decision of the Federal Court of Malaysia to acquit and release Mr. Anwar Ibrahim and wishes to thank the individuals and institutions who intervened on Mr. Anwar Ibrahim’s behalf.
Reminder of the situation
OMCT recalls that Mr. Anwar Ibrahim was arrested on 20 September 1998 on charges of corruption and sodomy. In 1999, he was found guilty of corruption and sentenced to six years in prison. The following year, he was sentenced to another nine years in prison for sodomy.
The former deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia was suffering from a serious spinal injury, which allegedly resulted from the ill-treatment he was subjected to during his arrest. According to reports submitted by government-approved experts, Mr. Anwar Ibrahim needed to undergo endoscopic spinal surgery as soon as possible. The report also stated that the facilities at Kuala Lumpur Hospital were not able to guarantee a successful operation, and it was therefore imperative to allow Anwar Ibrahim to seek treatment abroad.
Since 2001, OMCT had been calling upon the Malaysian authorities to ensure that Mr. Anwar Ibrahim’s rights to physical and psychological integrity and to receive the best medical care were guaranteed, and that he would be allowed to travel to Germany to receive this treatment.
No action is requested
Geneva, September 3, 2004
Acquittal and release
The International Secretariat of OMCT has received new information regarding the following situation in Malaysia.
New information
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), a member of the OMCT network, of the acquittal and release of former deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia, Mr. Anwar Ibrahim.
According to the information received, on 2 September 2004, Malaysia's highest court decided to overturn the conviction of Mr. Anwar Ibrahim and release him after he spent six years in prison. He had been arrested and was tried on charges of corruption and sodomy.
Remarks
The International Secretariat of OMCT welcomes the decision of the Federal Court of Malaysia to acquit and release Mr. Anwar Ibrahim and wishes to thank the individuals and institutions who intervened on Mr. Anwar Ibrahim’s behalf.
Reminder of the situation
OMCT recalls that Mr. Anwar Ibrahim was arrested on 20 September 1998 on charges of corruption and sodomy. In 1999, he was found guilty of corruption and sentenced to six years in prison. The following year, he was sentenced to another nine years in prison for sodomy.
The former deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia was suffering from a serious spinal injury, which allegedly resulted from the ill-treatment he was subjected to during his arrest. According to reports submitted by government-approved experts, Mr. Anwar Ibrahim needed to undergo endoscopic spinal surgery as soon as possible. The report also stated that the facilities at Kuala Lumpur Hospital were not able to guarantee a successful operation, and it was therefore imperative to allow Anwar Ibrahim to seek treatment abroad.
Since 2001, OMCT had been calling upon the Malaysian authorities to ensure that Mr. Anwar Ibrahim’s rights to physical and psychological integrity and to receive the best medical care were guaranteed, and that he would be allowed to travel to Germany to receive this treatment.
No action is requested
Geneva, September 3, 2004